Keeping shoe laces tied has been a problem since shoe laces were introduced. Many people have resorted to tying shoe laces using double knots but the laces are still susceptible to coming untied. Shoe manufacturers are now introducing alternative forms such as velcro, zipper or elastic bands to keep shoes secure while eliminating the nuisance of untied laces. However, the majority of shoes still use common laces that come untied.
An untied shoe lace is a tripping hazard and in hazardous occupations such as law enforcement, fire fighting and the military; untied laces can have extreme consequences. Athletes and children are particularly susceptible to having their shoe laces come untied.
Several attempts have been made to develop devices that keep shoelaces tied. The prior art can be divided into two categories depending on the required tying technique. A conventionally tied knot is referencing a shoe lace that is tied in the traditional manner into a bow knot with the bow loop and lace end extending from both sides of the centered lace knot. This could include both single or double knots. The device is then applied to these tied laces. The devices requiring the modification of the tying technique requires anything from cutting the laces, threading the laces through holes or slots in the bottom or sides of a device or pushing the laces through one way gripping devices that don't let them loosen up. The wearer has to learn a new technique of tying to use these devices.
A successful device not only keeps the shoe lace knot from coming untied but also keeps the tension of the lace on the shoe. This can only be accomplished by gripping the entire group of laces on both sides of the knot.
The first two patents to discuss allow the device to be applied to a conventionally tied shoe lace without having to modify the tying technique. U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,437 consists of an elastic band and a rigid tab. The tab is placed on top of the knot and the elastic band is placed under. The elastic band is stretched from a relaxed state to a stretched state and locks into a slot. The tension on the elastic band grips the lace. U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,246 B1 retains the laces on both sides of the knot using two small clamps connected together by a flexible extension and is permanently retained by the shoe.
The following patents require the user to modify the tying technique. U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,198 consists of a folding enclosure device that requires a coin or similar narrow object to unlatch it. This device requires the laces to be threaded through two openings and then tied. The drawing shows a clown design for child appeal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,127 consists of a unitary base and cover that requires the laces to be threaded through holes in the bottom portion and then tied. The drawings indicate a “turtle” design for child appeal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,589 is a device consisting of a base and a top that clamps the laces. This device is attached to the tongue of the shoe and uses elastic bands to provide tension to the upper and lower jaws to clamp the lace. The drawings indicate an “alligator” design for child appeal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,342 includes a three piece device with a cover, a base and a hinge. This design requires the shoe lace to be fed through both sides of a slot and then tied. The drawings indicate a “teddy bear” design for child appeal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,094 consists of a top and bottom portion with two side walls forming an enclosure for a shoelace knot. It has two ribs with serrations to clamp the bow and string end. It requires the laces be threaded through two slots in the bottom portion before or after tying. U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,021 includes components similar to the other patents including holes to thread the laces through before tying and a latching cover. This design has at least seven pieces to construct including both metal and plastic components. U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,214 is similar to the prior mentioned patents with a cover, hinge and latch that requires the laces to be threaded through holes in the base before tying.
The shortcomings of the prior art are bulkiness, complexity, modifying the conventional tying method, multiple parts, appealing only to children, questionable effectiveness and difficulty in latching and unlatching.
The reason in the first place for an invention of a shoe lace gripping device is to keep the laces from coming untied and retain the lace tension on the shoe. Some of the prior art has questionable effectiveness as evidenced by their use of elastic bands for the tension method. Over time, they will lose their elasticity. The method of using the contact of an elastic band against the lace as a means of holding is not as effective as gripping teeth. Others use holes with one way gripping devices to keep the laces from pulling back through the device. This keeps the tension on the laces of the shoe constant but does not address the bow coming untied which is the larger problem. The device (U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,094) that requires the laces be threaded through slots in the bottom portion does not clamp the entire shoe lace on both sides of the knot. It only retains the bow and loose string end and doesn't secure the part of the lace that keeps the tension on the shoe. A successful device needs to grip the entire laces on both sides of the knot to secure the knot and the lace tension on the shoe. To be able to withstand the rigors of athletics including kicking balls without coming untied requires a very robust clamp and latch.
The prior art is made from plastic, elastic bands or metal. Some use a combination of the three resulting in an expensive and complex device to construct. The molded designs are simpler and more cost effective than the more complex multiple part devices.
Some of the previous designs are very large and intrusive to the wearer. It would limit the commercial appeal of having something so large and complex on a shoe. The designs that show clowns, bears, turtules, alligators, etc. in their drawings for decorative purposes would be very cumbersome and distracting to the wearer. Some of the previous designs are completely oriented toward kids and would not have broad appeal for adults. The design with the laces being threaded through slots in the bottom portion is drawn as a large, rectangular box which would be cumbersome.
Some of the prior art are easy to install and some are quite complicated. Nearly every design requires the conventional tying method to be modified to accommodate the gripping device. The only devices that do not require modifying the tying technique are the elastic band and tab apparatus and the device consisting of two small clamps that are locked on both sides of the knot. The elastic bands lose tension over time and do not grip as well as a toothed design. The device consisting of two small clamps would be difficult or impossible to latch over large, round laces and require two clamping devices to be separately attached to the laces instead of one making this device inconvenient to use. The device that requires feeding the lace strings up through slots in the bottom portion before or after tying would require some finesse to install properly.
The present invention accommodates conventional single or double knot tying without having to modify the tying technique, is compact, works with any shoe lace thickness, requires only one clamping device be installed, appeals to kids and adults alike with space for themes of interest to the wearer, unquestionably keeps the laces tied and is easy to latch and unlatch overcoming all previous shortcomings in one unit. The device will be referenced as the “grip” throughout the description.
It is therefore an object of the invention to attach to a conventionally tied shoelace without having to modify the tying technique.
It is another object of the invention to grip all the laces on both sides of the knot so the lace tension on the shoe and the knot are secure.
It is another object of the invention to be very lightweight and unintrusive so as not to encumber the wearer.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tooth design that intermeshes the top and bottom teeth firmly grabbing the lace.
It is another object of the invention to provide a latching mechanism that can be easily squeezed open or shut by adults and children alike.
It is another object of the invention to provide an open center that uses the lace knot to keep the device centered while accommodating both single and double knotted laces.
It is another object of the invention to offer an area over the latch and the frame perimeter to promote themes such as trademarks, sports teams, etc improving the appeal of the unit.